Black IS Slenderizing....

It may look like Tiffany went a little heavy with the makeup, but actually she's just preparing to celebrate Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. As for the skull, well...maybe she's going to perform Hamlet and/or Romeo and Juliet?

I hope that the skull at least has healthy teeth, because it's National Brush Day and we don't want to see any cavities! Mr. O'Neill even has the perfect song for today: "Brush, brush, brush your teeth, using good hygiene, up and down and up and down and floss until they gleam." I assume he gets his music from the same place the Gupty family does.

While everyone tries to get that song out of their heads, I'll let the Morgendorffers know that today is Love Your Lawyer Day and Helen would appreciate a bit of affection. Or she would if she were home, but she's most likely at the office again. It's okay; you can love her from a distance!

Fanfic Update!

• Alison's Last Word, by riotsquirrrl (COMPLETE!): "Alison was at the top of the stairs to the Marcy Ave subway stop on a Monday afternoon a few weeks later when her phone rang. Flipping it open, she saw that it was her gallery."


• Busy Hands Do The Devils Head In, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): "Justitia watches the latest soul disappear off to hell and turned to Valak saying 'man I’m about ready to knock off, is that it?'"


• Mysteries of Aurora, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 2): "Olivia and Janara approached one of the Main Library’s entrances along one of the elevated walkways. Olivia was listening to an audio guide on the University."


• Secrets of Lawndale, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (prologue): "Quinn Morgendorffer walked through the streets of Lawndale. She didn’t believe that Tiffany Blum-Deckler had thrown her out."

Day of the Brain Dead, Anyway

Tiffany is ready to celebrate Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, which begins tonight. Of course, as soon as she realizes she holding a skull, she'll probably shout "Ewwww," drop it, and give herself a thorough manicure.

I'm sure the incident won't bother her too much, though, because that would require her to hold onto a thought for more than two seconds at a time. She probably doesn't need to concern herself with National Stress Awareness Day, although Jake might want to. "Why do people keep telling me I'm stressed? If I weren't stressed, I'd get stressed by everyone telling me I'm stressed!"

In fact, perhaps he should relax and try some calming oral hygiene for National Brush Day. Tad and Tricia Gupty can't wait to get to the part with the flossing!

Fandom News!

• Share your choices for the most zany cartoon characters.

"If I weren't stressed, I'd get stressed by everyone telling me I'm stressed!"

I guess it goes without saying that Jake already knows it's National Stress Awareness Day. Take deep breaths, Jakey. Think nice thoughts. Fluffy kittens, soothing ocean waves, your father being six feet underground....

Speaking of the dead, today is both the Day of the Dead and Plan Your Epitaph Day, and if that's not an ominous sign I don't know what is. Keep calm there, Jake. Remember your heart condition!

Fandom News!

• Talk about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.

Deeeeead? Ewwwwww.

Today is All Saints' Day and the Day of the Dead, both of which are holidays that focus on remembrance of the dead. I suppose we could all think about Tommy Sherman, but I think I'd prefer not to.

Stephen Crane was also born on this day in 1871. His connection to Daria is through Mr. O'Neill's reference to one of Crane's novels in the episode "Fire!": "Now, as you mull over the title, The Red Badge of Courage, who besides me hears the Cowardly Lion in your head singing, 'If I only had the noive?'"

I'm sure that's exactly what Crane was thinking of when he wrote it.

Fandom News!

• ST91 has another suggestion regarding a live chat on PPMB.


• MartinUK continues his visit to Finland.


• Do you ever experience post book series depression? Talk about it in the thread.


• GlitterShrooms wonders, just how similar are Helen and Jodie?


• Discuss (or commiserate over) bad movie remake ideas in the Weapons of Mass Distraction forum.


• Arena del Sur may have found a Daria lookalike in The Sandman.


• What are your favorite trashy guilty pleasure shows?


• Share your thoughts on the new Beavis and Butt-head episodes.


• Something for the Time Lord fans out there: the Muppets do Doctor Who.


• Two new Iron Chefs posted in the Creative Writing forum: Grifter74's In the movies and Charles RB's Resevoir Dars.

Role Model

Today is the 37th birthday of model and actress Jenny McCarthy, rumored to have been the actual role model for Brittany Taylor. Given Ms. McCarthy's recent forays into medical science... no, I won't say it. Too easy. Sorry.

Today is also World Vegan Day, which is curious because Ms. McCarthy is a vegan. When it rains, it pours, I guess.

AND... today is Samhain, All Saints Day, the Day of the Dead, and a bunch of other things. Tiffany's alter-ego costume at left is exactly that for Mexico's Day of the Dead. Nice multicultural touch, there. Wonder what Samhain and the others are like at Holiday Island High.

Hope you remembered to set your clocks back an hour today, if you live where they do daylight savings time. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

PPMB

• Beasts, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “Did you just kill Fluffy?” Sandi Griffin said oddly calm tone. Her ears were ringing from the gunshot blast that was echoing around them in the small store. Quinn Morgendorffer flipped her hair over her shoulder with a small shrug. “How am I supposed to know?” She pumped the 12-gauge shotgun. “It was the size of dog and had large teeth, now it’s in pieces.”
• Dinnertime, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): "Scarlett, dear, you have to come out of your room sometime." The voice of her mother caused the girl to open her eyes and look at the closed and locked door. "I can't do it," she said. "I won't do it." "You cannot stay in there forever."
• Finn Morgendorffer 11: Man of Honor, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “I’ll make sure my tuxedo matches the dresses.” “I’ve already contacted the bridal store, you can see them there.” Rita instructed. “Also, Daria’s going to be one of the bridesmaids.” “Really?” Finn tried to hide his disappointment. Daria was not cheerful enough to be in a wedding. She hated dresses anyway.
• Halloween Treats, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The kids at the front door of the Morgendorffer house took a step back in unison as the door opened to show a hulking, hooded figure, holding a large bowl of candy. The voice beneath the overly large hood was distinctly feminine, although raspy; it was slightly breathless, with a throaty timbre to it. "Yes...?"
• Late Bloomer, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): Daria sat upright in her bed cover in sweat. She could feel the flames still licking at her skin. Oh my god, that was a little too realistic, she thought as her heart tried to beat its way free from her ribcage. Her arms actually ached from where they had been bound in the dream. With a sigh of relief she dropped back down to her pillow. My hands were tied to something and I was on fire. That was the worst dream I’ve had in a long time. [Begs for more!]
• Slow Night, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “The Vampires have been forced back and the Lycans are wiped out. The Zack outbreak was pretty minor and I’ve got it cleaned up already. I’m tired and I want to go home. I’ve spent most of the night chasing crazy teenagers who like to dress up.”
• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Hump Day), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Destroy all that is evil," spoke the elder. "So that what is good may flourish," replied the younger.
  

Gooooooo, Cheerleaders! Yay!

Today, and I swear this is true, is celebrated as the 110th anniversary of the invention of cheerleading.

Not sure what else to say about that.

Maybe nothing. Let's move on.

Today is also All Souls Day at Holiday Island High, and also still the Day of the Dead, like yesterday, and is the 51st anniversary of a famous UFO case that Daria surely knows about, since she's into that sort of thing. The longest-operating commercial radio station in the U.S. is 88 today. BBC One is 72.

Moar l8r.

"Does this skull makeup make me look fat?"

Sometimes you just don't know why the Daria artists created the alter egos they did. Here's Tiffany in costume for the Day of the Dead, which is big in Mexico today and tomorrow. This kid must be quite a party animal (not!) at Holiday Island High.

Today is also World Vegan Day, celebrating and honoring our interstellar friends from Vega, and also Samhain and also All Saints. Go for it.

And today marks the start of National Novel Writing Month. Those of you who are illiterably inclined may start writing at once. And make sure it's a Daria novel this time.

And now some updates from the last couple days. In the field of visual treats and tricks, we have: Morgan V Morgendorffer, by Psychotol; Trick or Treat! by Breitasparrow; and a collection of pictures from Wouter showing his versions of certain scenes taken directly from Daria episodes. All are worthy of admiration. "Trick or Treat!" does win the Cuteness Cubed award, however.

PPMB

• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): Everything go boom, big time. Massive feedback going on to story as well.
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Part 12): The survivors make plans to survive an unappealing future.
• A Trick or Treat II, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): Already mentioned. This dude is a writing machine!